Daylight developing-tank for photographic films.



E. L. HAMMER.

DAYLIGHT DEVELOPING TANK FOR PHOTOGRAPHIO FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETSBHBET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR quash?v M COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH CCI.,WASHXNGTON, D c.

E. L. HAMMER. DAYLIGHT DEVELOPING TANK FOR PHOTOGRAPHIU FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1'7 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASH1NGTON, u. c,

EDWIN L. HAMMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DAYLIGHT DEVELOPING-TANK FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9,1912.

Application filed April 1'7, 1911. Serial No. 621,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. HAMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Daylight Developing-Tanks for Photographic Films, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable water tight and light tight tank in which the development of photographic films may be carried on in daylight and without the assistance of a dark room and the ordinary paraphernalia that is incidental thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide the tank with a winding frame suitably equipped with rollers, etc, on which the film may be extended so as to leave its sensitized surface exposed to the developer contained in the tank.

Another object of my invention is to make this winding frame readily removable from the tank, with the film in position thereon.

Another object of my invention is to equip the tank and the winding frame with suitable gearing so that the film may be drawn to its extended position on the frame after it has been sealed in the tank.

Another object of my invention is to provide the tank with a suitable top having a screw capped opening therein through which the liquid developer may be poured into the tank, said top being capable of being sealed on the tank so as to prevent the leaking of the developer around the edges there of said top being also provided with plates to prevent the leaking of light therethrough while the developer is being poured into the tank.

These and other objects of my invention will be fully explained in the specification and described in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the winding frame with the developing tank omitted. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. of the winding frame shown in Fig. 1, looking at it in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the winding frame on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the tank, frame and top, the tank being partly broken away to show the driving mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the spool holder. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the top, taken on the line 6*6 in Fig. t. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the string and the clamp to which the film is connected for operation. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the frame shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the frame shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the tank showing the bail for locking the top.

In the accompanying drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts.

My improved frame for my tank developer comprises the side plates 1, 1 which are suitably connected together and spaced apart by the pins 2, 2, on which are mounted for rotation the rollers 3, 3, one of these being provided at each of the four corners of the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Through the centers of the frame is passed the shaft 4, on the end of which outside of the frame is mounted the gear wheel 5. lVithin the frame is rigidly fastened to this shaft the drum 6, which drum revolves with the shaft 4 by which it is supported. This drum is substantially the same width as the interval between the side plates 1, 1. This drum is also air tight and water tight, so as to reduce the total volume of open space inside of the tank in which this frame is to be placed, thereby reducing the quantity of liquid developer that is necessary in order to make the development. The shaft 4: passes through the side 1 of the frame adj acent to the gear 5, in which it is mounted to rotate freely, and is provided with any suitable bearing in the side 1 at its opposite end.

The rollers 3 are mounted to rotate freely on the pins on which they are supported. These rollers if desired may be made both hollow and water tight, although this is not so essential as in the case of the large drum or cylinder 6, because of the comparatively small displacement of the rollers. All of the rollers 3 and the drums 6 are made pref erably hollow, of thin sheetmetal, so as to make the frame light and easily carried and handled.

Attached to the drum 6 is a clip 7, to which may be fastened a string or winding belt 8. As shown in Fig. 8, this string extends practically all of the way around the drum 6 and from thence to the roller 3 at the upper left hand corner, and thence around the outside of the frame, around each of the rollers 3 in turn, leaving its end in Spool holder and securely fastened therein, convenient position to be attached to the the spool holder may he put in position in end of the film carried on the spool, a supthe frame and the end of the film may be port for which is provided at 9. This string or belt is provided at its end with a clamp 10, to which may be fastened the end of the film or the paper that is ordinarily fastened to the end of the film, and through this string and the clamp or connection between it and the film, the film may be drawn out and stretched around the rollers and the drum, simply by the rotation of the drum. In this way the film may be extended so as to have all of its sensitized surface exposed to the developer that may be contained in the tank, or placed therein after the film has been extended in this way.

In the ordinary use of my developing tank the film contained on its spool may be placed upon the spool holder, which spool holder I am now about to describe. This spool holder 12 consists of two parts 13 and 14, each having a vertical flange 15 and 1G, and pins 17 and 18 thereon, which pins are adapted to engage with the recesses or holes in the end of the s ool, supporting the spool between them for free and easy rotation thereon. Each of the parts of the spool holder consists of a horizontal member, one of which 19 is hollow to receive the other 20, the two horizontal parts being calculated to slide or telescope on each other so as to vary the distance between the vertical flanges thereof, thus making it possible to accommodate a spool of any length between them. The hollow member 19 carries thereon the friction spring 21, by which the ro tation of the spool is retarded so as to insure the film being drawn tight at all points. The two members of the spool holder may be drawn apart and the spool may then be placed in position thereon between the flanges, which flanges with their pins may then be closed into engagement with the spool. The spool holder may then be placed in position on the top of the tank, one side of which is cut away, as indicated at 22, to insure a positive engagement between the tank and the spool holder. The horizontal member 20 of the spool holder is intended to be long enough to span the frame, while the hollow member 19 of the spool holder will be only long enough to insure good ongagement with the member 20, it being understood that it will be sufficiently shorter than the member 20 so as to permit the pins 17 and 18 carried on the vertical flanges thereof to be closed into engagement with the spool of shortest length that would ever be mounted in the frame. It will thus be seen that spools of several different lengths and films of several different widths may be accommodated in the same spool holder and its developing frame.

lVhen the spool has been placed in its attached to the clamp 10. \Vhen the parts are in this position and adjustment, the whole frame may be set bodily into the tank 2i, care being taken to have the gear 5 placed in contact with the gear carried on the tank. This gear is supported on a shaft 26 which is mounted in and passes through the side of the tank Ql, the outer end of which shaft is left square so that it can be easily turned by a key or a wrench.

\Vhen the frame has been placed in the tank the cover 27 may be placed on the top of the tank and fastened in position by the bail 28, which bail is U-shaped and carries on each of its ends the eccentric levers 29.

Fastened on the ends of the tank in the proper places are the lugs under which these eccentric levers 29 are adapted to engage,

so that by placing the bail in position and engaging the levers with these lugs, by turning the levers the bail may be drawn down tightly on the top, fastening it securely in place on the top of the tank, causing the top to make practically a water tight joint with the tank.

The top for the tank is pro *ided with a flange 30, around the outer side of which is provided a packing strip 31 which may be of leather, felt, rubber or any other suitable material. This packing strip is intended to come into contact with the rim of the tank.

At one end of the top of the tank is provided the flanged opening which is provided with an outside thread to receive the cap by which said opening is closed. After the frame has been placed in the tank with the film and spool thereon, the cover may be sealed in place and the film may then be extended around the drum (3 and the rollers 3 as above described. The cap 83 may then be removed and the developer may be poured into the tank. The cap is then re placed and the tank may be changed from one position to another, being turned around in all directions so as to cause the developer to circulate with refercnceto the film and come in contact with it, facilitating the development of the film in this way. The tank may be turned upside down or on its side as often as may be desired, in order to hasten and secure a complete development of the film.

To prevent the entrance of light into the tank, I provide on the top around the opening on the under side of the top a box-like construction 35 in which are monnt ed the intercepting plates 37 and 38, each of which plates is fastened at one end of the box 36 and extends nearly to the other end, the plates alternating with each other in this respect so as: t compel the liquid to take a serpentine path forward over one plate and back over the next succeeding plate, etc., until it emerges through an opening provided therefor in the bottom of the box, through which it flows into the tank. These plates are provided primarily for the purpose of preventing any light from getting into the inside of the tank while the undeveloped film is exposed therein.

After the film has been developed as above described, the developing fiuid may be poured out of the tank by removing the cap 33 and turning the tank on its side, releasing the cover slightly at one end, so as to permit the air to flow into the tank as the developer flows out. After the developer has been poured out .of the tank the top may be sealed up again and the tank may be filled with the fixing solution, after which the cap 33 will be put in place and the tank placed in its several positions for the purpose of bringing the fixing solution in con tact with the film. After the fixing of the film has been completed, the top may be removed and the fixing solution poured off. The frame may then be lifted bodily out of the developing tank with the film extended thereon and placed in a bucket of water. \Vhile the frame is being used thus to wash its film another frame with a fresh film thereon may be placed in the tank and the process of development as above described may be repeated. In this way one tank with its top may be used in connection with several frames. After the film has been sufiiciently washed it may be set aside on the frame and left to dry, or it may be removed from the frame and hung up if so desired.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have shown a modification of this frame. Instead of using a large central drum I use instead a spindle 41.0, 011 the outer end of which is keyed a gear wheel 41:1 which coiiperates with a similar gear mounted in the side of the tank, through which it may be driven. On this spindle is fastened the string 42, which string passes over the rollers 43, .40, M, 4-5 and 46. Above the roller 46 provision is made for mounting the spool holder heretofore described. The string 42, provided with the clamp 10, may be attached to the end of the film in the manner heretofore described, and on the rotation of this spindle 4,0 the film will be extended around the various rollers, as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. The frame illustrated in Figs. 9 and 1.0 will be used in connection with the tank that corresponds thereto in shape, as does the tank used in connection with the frame in Fig. 1 correspond thereto. By making the arrangement of the rollers on the frame as is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, I am able to make the frame and. its tank very much more compact in size, making the size of the complete outfit correspond to the size of the ordinary pocket kodak that exposes the films which the tank is intended to develop.

The spindle 40 illustrated in Fig. 9 is recessed at its center so as to wind up the string thereon and keep the string out of contact with the film which passes around the spindle, the film being supported out of contact with the string by the large end of the spindle.

The clamp 10 above mentioned consists of a single wire bent to a U shape, to the ends of which are fastened a narrow plate 49. Mounted to slide on the sides adjacent to this plate is the loop 50 which consists of a piece of sheet metal cut and bent to the desired shape, with the ends fastened together. Over the plate 4L9 the end of the film or the paper attached thereto is adapted to be bent and is securely clamped in place by sliding the loop 50 thereon, it being understood that the loop 50 has only a very slight clearance over the plate 49, so that the end of the film is held securely between them by frictional engagement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and patentable is'as follows:

I. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a tank, a frame removably supported in said tank, a spool holder on said frame, a series of rollers mounted in said frame, a string or belt attached to one of said rollers and adapted to pass over or around the rest of said rollers, and a clamp on one end of said string or belt.

2. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a tank, a frame removably supported in said tank, a spool holder on said frame, a series of rollers mounted in said frame, a string or belt attached to one of said rollers and adapted to pass over or around the rest of said rollers, a clamp on one end of said string or belt, a gear wheel mounted on the outside of said frame and rotating with the roller to which said string is attached, a gear wheel mounted on the inside of said tank with which said first named gear is adapted to mesh, and an arbor supporting said second gear wheel and passing through the tank and adapted to be turned from the outside of the tank.

3. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a tank, a gear wheel mounted on the inside of said tank and adapted to be turned from the outside of said tank, means outside the tank for turning said gear wheel, a frame removably mounted on the inside of said tank and having a gear wheel thereon adapted to mesh with the gear Wheel mounted on the inside of said tank, a roller on the frame driven by said gear wheels, a spool holder for a film mounted in said frame, a series of rollers mounted in said frame and means for connecting the film with the first mentioned roller, whereby said film may be drawn around all the rollers mounted in said frame.

4. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a tank, a frame having a series of rollers thereon, a top for sealing said frame in said tank, means extending through the side of said tank for the purpose of driving one of said rollers from the outside of the tank.

5. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a frame, and a spool holder for said frame, said spool holder comprising two parts, one telescoping on the other, each having a pin thereon on which the spool is adapted to rotate, one of the sides of said frame being provided with a slot in which one of said pins is adapted to engage to hold said spool holder in position.

6. In a daylight developing apparatus, the combination of a frame, a spool holder for said frame, said spool holder comprising two parts, one telescoping on the other, each having a pin thereon, a spool adapted to rotate on said pins, a spring mounted on one of said parts, adapted to yieldingly engage the spool and retard the rotation thereof.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDIVIN L. HAMMER.

IVitnesses E1110 ISCHINGER, LENA. M. AsH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

